[Python-Dev] Confused about test_bsddb failures on Mac OS X

[skip at pobox.com]

I'm having trouble with test_bsddb on my new MacBook Pro (OS X 10.5.1).
Many tests give this error:

    Traceback (most recent call last):
      File "/Users/skip/src/python/trunk/Lib/test/test_bsddb.py", line 18, in setUp
        self.f = self.openmethod[0](self.fname, self.openflag, cachesize=32768)
      File "/Users/skip/src/python/trunk/Lib/bsddb/__init__.py", line 327, in btopen
        d.open(file, db.DB_BTREE, flags, mode)
    DBFileExistsError: (17, 'File exists -- __fop_file_setup:  Retry limit (100) exc
    eeded')

In TestBSDDB.setUp I added a print statement to the start:

    print os.path.abspath(self.fname), os.path.exists(self.fname)

It always prints:

    /Users/skip/src/python/trunk/build/@test False

I'm using the MacPorts version of Berkeley DB.  I've tried both 4.5 and 4.4:

    % otool -L build/lib.macosx-10.3-i386-2.6/_bsddb.so 
    build/lib.macosx-10.3-i386-2.6/_bsddb.so:
            /opt/local/lib/db44/libdb-4.4.dylib (compatibility version 0.0.0, current version 0.0.0)
            /usr/lib/libSystem.B.dylib (compatibility version 1.0.0, current version 111.0.0)

Any idea what the problem might be?